Russia Seeks Victory, Not ‘Delusional’ Compromise, In Talks With Ukraine: Medvedev

It seems Dmitry Medvedev has once again said the quiet part out loud. The deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council and former president has said Tuesday that Moscow is engaged in peace talks with Ukraine in order ultimately to ensure a swift and complete Russian victory.

“The Istanbul talks are not for striking a compromise peace on someone else’s delusional terms but for ensuring our swift victory and the complete destruction of the neo-Nazi regime,” the Russian official, who has long been known for his hawkish outspokenness, stated.

“That’s what the Russian Memorandum published yesterday is about” – in reference to the set of demands presented. The Monday Istanbul talks lasted a mere hour, but resulted in agreement for another swap of 1,000 POWs, and the return of some 6,000 deceased bodies recovered from the battlefield.

One key thing that Medvedev also addressed is the coming reprisal for Sunday’s ‘Operation Spider’s Web’ which saw Ukraine penetrate deep inside Russia with drone strikes on five Russian airbases:

Medvedev added, in an apparent response to Ukraine’s weekend strikes on Russian strategic bomber bases, that Moscow would take revenge. “Retribution is inevitable,” he said.

“Our Army is pushing forward and will continue to advance. Everything that needs to be blown up will be blown up, and those who must be eliminated will be.”

In Istanbul, the Russian delegation had handed over a long awaited ceasefire proposal, which contains a full outline for permanent settlement. We earlier featured the following Moscow demands from the document as follows:

• Crimea, Donbass, Kherson, Zaporozhye internationally recognized as Russian 
• Ukraine doesn’t join NATO or any military bloc 
• Ukraine holds elections
• Withdraws troops from new Russian regions 
• BANS Nazi propaganda

Without doubt, the Zelensky government is going to reject these conditions, particularly the sticking point about territorial concessions. Kiev has already rejected the offer of a two or three day short ceasefire.

Sunday’s massive drone attack, which destroyed many advanced, expensive aircraft such as long-range strategic bombers – some parked at airbases very far away from the Ukraine border – was meant to given Zelensky leverage in further negotiations.

President Zelensky’s reaction to the Russian delegation’s stance after Monday’s talks:

“Arrogant people”: Zelensky on the behavior of the Russians during today’s negotiations. pic.twitter.com/TNfeRYJXIJ

— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) June 2, 2025

As geopolitical blog Moon of Alabama lays out, the brazen operation was by design meant to influence talks at a moment Ukrainian losses kept mounting fast:

Days before negotiations towards an and of the conflict the operational tempo of the war in Ukraine has increased.

During the last week of May the Russian forces took 18 settlements and over 200 square kilometer. During the last 24 hours at least another 3 settlements have changed hands. The Ukrainian army is no longer capable to hold its defense lines. Its situation is deteriorating day by day.

On Saturday a Russian missile attack hit a Ukrainian military training camp. It killed or wounded about 100 soldiers. It was the second time the camp had been hit.

Certainly, Ukraine has at least shifted the global conversation in the sense that Europe is again rallying behind Kiev, and now there’s strong pressure on the White House to ‘just go with it’ and allow the Ukrainians to keep up the escalation game on Russia.

‘An epic failure’: Russia reels from surprise Ukrainian attack on bomber fleet

While the effect on Russia’s nuclear capacity is likely to be limited, the attack could affect day-to-day operations in Ukraine, say analysts.
w/ @NastyaStognei @fabrice_deprez
Graphics: @BobHaslett pic.twitter.com/q4pfSRaJ8L

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) June 3, 2025

Of course, this is highly dangerous, and Putin has never been one to blink first – but is likely to unleash painful retaliation on Ukraine, including the likelihood of bombs away on the capital.

Meanwhile, there’s been uncharacteristic silence out of the White House. Trump has indicated that he’s still open to the possibility of an in-person meeting involving both Zelensky and Putin at the same table, but this scenario is slipping away by the day, as the war tempo picks up pace.